


Bridging the Gap

by MethodMom



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Alpha Miranda - Freeform, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, F/F, Family Feels, G!P Miranda - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Marks, Omega Andy, crossover sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:01:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MethodMom/pseuds/MethodMom
Summary: Miranda and Andy haven't seen each other for 6 years, but one set of twins is about to change everything.
Relationships: Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Comments: 94
Kudos: 425





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look, I started ANOTHER fic instead of finishing something else. I'm starting to think I might have a problem. No Beta, sorry for the mistakes!
> 
> Also. trigger warning right off the bat for suicidal thoughts/actions.

Andy leaned forward, one hand griped the railing half-heartedly as she contemplated the cold, churning waters of the East River below her, the other held a pregnancy test tightly to her stomach as a gust of wind blew her hair about frantically causing the strands to sting the skin of her face.

She had tried.

She had tried her best and had failed in epic proportions. Memories of the past year pressed down on her chest and she struggled to breath under the weight of regret. Sobs racked her body, the cold in the air causing steam to rise from the fresh tears that traveled down her cheeks to become one with the raging waters below her.

Andy took a ragged breath and looked down at the test in her hand and back to the water. She shook her head and tried to slow the onslaught of thoughts rattling in her head. Nothing helped. There was so much anger, so much sadness, just so much...noise. She needed it to stop. But even as loud and chaotic as it was in her head, one word stood at the forefront of her mind. One word that repeated itself over and over and over.

_Rejected._

Overcome with grief, and desperate for relief from the pain, she looked away from the New York skyline before her, her minds eye fixated on the colors of love that danced in her head. The pure blue of Miranda’s eyes…the tulips blooming in spring as they had walked through central park… her purple toothbrush on the bathroom counter.

But none of it mattered anymore because when it came down to it, Andy had been rejected. Nate had known she wasn’t worthy and had no problem telling her so daily. Pointing out her shortcomings time and time again and now Miranda had seen the same. Andy was good enough for a quick fuck, but she clearly wasn’t mate material.

_RejectEd._

The word tasted metallic on her tongue. Or maybe that was blood from biting the inside of her cheek, a nervous habit she’d picked up as a child. Andy’s body shivered… God a _child_. Didn’t it stand to reason that if she wasn’t good enough to mate, she wasn’t good enough to mother? Didn’t the two go hand in hand? It was unfair of her to saddle this child with the burden and shame of growing up a bastard born to an unmated Omega. At that thought, Andy’s resolve strengthened even as her grip on the bridge railing weakened.

Decision made, Andy stepped softly toward the river below, not hearing the frantic shout of “Lady, NO!” coming from behind her and welcoming the quiet that death would bring.

6 Years later

“Excuse me, mister. Does Miranda PriesWee work here?” The security guard leaned over his post and peered down at a pair of freckle faced girls wearing Girl Scout uniforms and sweet smiles.

“She does. And what’s your name miss?”

“Cassidy.”

“And Carowine.”

The security guard waited for her to give a last name and when none was forthcoming, he searched his clipboard. “I don’t see a pass requested for a Cassidy or a Caroline.” He smiled sweetly at them, “sorry ma’am’s. Run along to your mother now.”

Their little friend Henry was waiting for the signal and as soon as Cassidy tapped her leg, he threw the match into the waste basket and watched the flames grow. The screams of “fire!” distracted the security guard long enough for both girls to sneak onto the elevator and give Henry a thumbs up before pressing the button for the thirteenth floor.

Past their first obstacle, they waited for the elevator doors to open. When they exited the elevator, they were in awe of how big the office was. The two ran straight ahead toward the glass paneled office, (cause that’s where Henry said the boss would be) completely ignoring the protests of the red-haired woman at the front desk. They had a goal and would not lose focus when they were so, so close to finally meeting _her._

As they stumbled loudly into the office, the red-head hot on their tails, all the eyes in the room fell on them. “Hey! You, little… You can’t go in there!” the woman yelled from behind them, pulling up short at the fierce glare from the woman in the middle of the room. “I’m so sorry, Miranda!”

 _Miranda!_ The twins looked at each other excitedly and looked back to the woman standing the middle of the room, hand still on a rack full skirts in every shade of blue they could imagine.

“I tried to stop th—"

Miranda held her up and interrupted the woman behind them. “Please, bore someone else with details of your incompetence, Emily.”

“Yes, Miranda.” Both girls heard the woman mutter “I love my job,” repeatedly as she went back to her desk and snickered at the reprimand.

Except now the full force of that all mighty glare that was directed at the other lady was now directed and them and for a moment the three just stared at each other, sizing one another up, and ignoring the other people in the room.

“And what, pray tell, brings you two to my office this afternoon? I don’t recall having requested any girl scouts for a photo shoot and I certainly do not remember ordering and cookies, so I’m having trouble understanding why it is that you are standing in my office, interrupting a very important run-through.”

Neither girl answered right away, and while both of them had the good sense to look a little guilty at barging into the room, they were both smiling. _Finally,_ they breathed _._ Finally, there were here, in front of the woman they had been dreaming of meeting since they found out about her.

Tears began welling in the Caroline’s eyes and when she sniffled her sister put a supportive arm around her. They’d talked so many times about meeting _her_ , cuddled up in their beds, dreaming of what they would say. Wondering if she would like them. Wondering if M’anda mommy was tall or short because it was hard to tell from a picture. Wondering if she really had hair as white as her picture in the magazine. But now that they were here, they didn’t know what to do. _Henry and his dumb ideas,_ Cassidy thought to herself and rolled her eyes and wiped her sisters tears.

~

Miranda for her part just watched the two girls interact. They were clearly identical twins, but the one offering up a supportive embrace had freckles across the bridge of her nose, while the one beginning to cry had a small patch on each cheek.

_Great job, Miranda._

She signed internally at her own cold demeanor. She had never been good with kids, but something about these two made her want to try again. An unexplained need to offer comfort coiled in Miranda’s gut and she instinctively released some calming pheromones into the air.

“Dears, what are your names?”

The softer tone seemed to work and they both looked up at her. They fixed their beautiful brown eyes on her. They were warm and the edge of the irises were etched with gold, and for a moment she lost herself in the memory of the last time she’d seen eyes just like those.

She remembered the smell of tulips, the softness of full lips against hers, the feel of delicate curves under her fingers as she traced every inch of her mate.

“I’m Cassidy,” the young girl said. “And this is my sister Carowine,” she finished gesturing at the girl by her side.

Miranda blinked away the memory, barely repressing a whimper. “And why are you here in my office?”

“Well…” Cassidy started nervously.

“You’re our mom.” Caroline finished in a voice so small, Miranda barely heard it.

Miranda’s brows furrowed in confusion as the words registered. “I think you are mistaken little ones. I don’t have any children.” _Not for lack of wanting though_ , she though wistfully. There was a time she had hoped that she would be a parent, watch her babies grow but those dreams fled, along with her mate, one cold evening in December years ago.

But when she looked at them, their faces earnest and believing she asked again. “What did you say your names were again? Cassidy and Caroline?”

“Yea.” The replied in stereo.

“Yes,” Miranda corrected. “Was there a last name or are you two going the way of Cher?” She joked.

Both girls looked confused. “Who?”

“Nevermind, dears. Last name?”

“Uh, well I don’t think we should say. Mama says were not s’posed to tell strangers our names.”

Miranda tapped her finger on her lips, “well, I’m hardly a stranger if you think I’m your mother. But very well, I am Miranda Priestly. It’s very nice to make your acquaintance dear hearts.” She knelt down in front of them and shook their hands. “There now. We aren’t strangers any longer. Last name, please.”

“Sachs. Our last name is Sachs.”

“And our mama is named Andy.”

Miranda’s mind swam and her vision blurred and the last thing she saw before she hit the floor were the soulful brown eyes of her daughters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am absolutely OVERWHELMED with the amount of love and comments you all showered me with! I am legit, floored. And i want to tell you that this is on a schedule but the reality is like this. We sold a house during a pandemic. We are in the midst of closing on a house in a pandemic. Shit is BANANAS in my life right now. Stress is overwhelming and most days I'm lucky to just hold it all together, but I wrote this in between conference calls and meetings and nap times and lunch and teaching the three little monsters that call me mommy. This is not beta'd. It might be sloppy so excuse any typos. This is also my first attempt at a long fic in this sort of AU so I might miss the A/B/O mark a bit, but I'm trying. Thank you all again for all the love - so freaking uplifting this afternoon when I logged in after so long away!! You all are the bomb diggity!

“What do you mean you don’t know where they are, Ruby?” Andy growled menacingly. Emma was busy on the phone reporting their missing children.

“I don’t know, I don’t know!” Ruby whined. “One minute there were here playing and the next they were gone!”

“Ok, let’s all try to remain calm.” Emma interjected as she hung up the phone. “They’re six. How far could they have gotten?”

“How fa—” Andy stuttered, her eyes were nearly bugging out of her face, disbelieving how her best friend could be so calm when their kids were missing. “It fucking NEW YORK, _Emma_!” Andy screeched. “They don’t have to go far to find danger.”

Ruby was sat at the kitchen island, head in her hands, mumbling “I’m sorry,” until, like a mantra, the words began to blur together.

Andy tried to keep her wits about her, taking deep breaths and trying to quell her desire to rip Ruby limb for limb for losing her babies. She started running back through the past few days in her memory. “Did they say anything that might give us a clue where they went, Ruby?”

“Not anything that stands out.” Ruby shifted on her seat. “They had just gotten up and asked for apple cinnamon pancakes for breakfast. “

Emma wore a sad smirk, knowing that was Henry’s request, the kid loved apple cinnamon anything.

“So, I turned on the television and they settled on the sofa to watch some cartoon or another while I came in here to start cooking.” Ruby explained as she recounted the events of the morning. “But when I came back out to tell them it was ready, they were gone.”

Andy looked to Emma. “Have you called the hospital?”

“I called and let Mary Margaret know.” Emma sighed and dropped the phone on the counter. “She said she would keep us posted and call us if any kids matching their descriptions came in.”

Andy felt sick. She could smell the anxiety rolling off Ruby and Emma and decided with a low growl that she wasn’t going to just sit there. “I’m going to look for them.” She gave a questioning look toward Emma. “You coming?”

“Yep. Ruby?”

She shook her head no. “I think someone should stay here, in case they come back while you two are gone.”

Andy could feel the remorse and guilt coming from her friend and while she appreciated that she felt badly, she was furious that the person she trusted with the two people most precious to her in the world had failed. She didn’t have time to sit and wallow, she had to find them. She hoped their scent would still be fresh enough that they could at least start off in the right direction.

~

Nigel and Jocelyn stood stunned as they watched Miranda collapse on the cream carpet of her office, but the two pups who just dropped a bomb on the editor rushed forward, concerned for their sire, and paying no mind to the other adults in the room.

“Do you think she’s dead, Caro?” Cassidy asked her sister, her little voice laced with concern.

“I don’t know.” She shoved her sister closer. “Poke her.”

“No! You poke her!”

“I’m not doing it, what if she _is_ dead?”

“Together then,” Cassidy decided. The girls crept forward slowly, not taking their eyes off the woman laying prone on the floor in front of them.

As they knelt down to poke her a noise somewhere between a groan and growl emitted from Miranda. She opened her eyes and looked up into two mischievous, but now strikingly familiar, faces and blinked. Confusion was written on her brow as she simultaneously recollected what she’d heard and realized she was on the floor.

Miranda paled further as the thoughts of _impossible_ and _they can’t be mine_ stomped through her head while she felt the heavy stares of four sets of eyes on her. She reached a shaky hand out to the edge of her desk and stood. Her legs felt a little like they might give out again any second.

“Nigel, this run through is over. Emily, reschedule my afternoon.” Miranda massaged her temples trying to make sense of the shocking turn her afternoon had just taken.

“Yes, Miranda.” And the entire group of people filed out of the glass office leaving the three of them alone.

“You don’t feel good?” Caroline asked, worried.

“No, I’m fine.” And she was, but… She plopped ungracefully into her desk chair. “Just a bit confused.”

Cassidy took that to mean she was ready to keep talking and didn’t wait to continue explaining. “We saw your picture in our baby book, but we didn’t tell mama or Emma that we were coming to see you.”

Miranda processed the words slowly. Mama. Emma. Who is Emma? Had her Andrea found another mate?

“You two,” Miranda pointed at them getting their attention. “Care to tell me how you got across town without any adult supervision?”

Miranda watched their little faces go from inquisitive to concerned. “If we tell you promise not to get us in trouble?” Caroline asked.

“I make no such promises little one. I am sure your mama is very worried.”

The twins paled at that and Miranda pursed her lips to stifle her grin. Clearly, they hadn’t thought much about what would happen after they got to her. Apparently, they were impatient little pups… _A trait they’d gotten from me no doubt._ She pulled herself up short at that thought. No. She was not going to get so far ahead of herself. She was not going to fall in love with these two puckish pups. They may be Andrea’s, but that did not mean that they were hers. Even if the time frame fit. Even if they had the same red hair and freckles she had as a child. Even if she wanted it to be true. Especially, because she wanted it to be true.

As she looked at their faces, she felt the bond with them beginning to solidify, her natural instincts to protect her own reaching out as she tried to calm their fears.

A knock at the door interrupted their silence.

“Yes?”

Emily walked in holding the hand of a third child. A young boy. “I found this one lurking just around the ficus tree in the lobby. I assumed he was with the others…”

Henry’s face looked ashen as Miranda pinned him with a stern look. "Your name?"

"Henry, ma'am."

“Leave him here, Emily. Thank you.”

Miranda looked back to the twin girls. “I assume young mister Henry here is part of this. Now explain yourselves.”

The three looked at each other, no doubt trying to decide who will be the first to speak up and Miranda reclined back in her chair, fingers intertwined across her abdomen, waiting. “By all means, move at a glacial pace...”

The kids audibly gulped before they began their confession.

~

“We walked.” Henry spoke first.

“You walked?”

“Mostwy” Cassidy explained. “We took a cab a little bit, too.”

“It smelled like pee.” Caroline added.

Henry’s nose scrunched up at the memory. “Yeah, and the driver was a little scary.”

Miranda just listened and tried not to react out of fear that these three could have been seriously hurt or kidnapped or worse on their little adventure.

“How did you pay for the cab?”

Caroline pointed between herself and her sister. “We used our piggy bank monies.”

Miranda just shook her head in disbelief. “You just woke up and decided to come find a woman you saw in a book, on a whim, without any regard for what your parent’s must be going through at this very moment.” She chastised. “Did you even leave a note.”

“duh.” Caroline replied. “we wanted to come see you, but when we asked mommy she said no and just looked really sad.”

“And then Henry said we should just come find you and he helped us. He’s almost 7 so he’s older and knows more. Plus, his mommy lets him play on the tablet.”

“His mommy?” Miranda repeated as a question. She’d been wondering about who Emma was.

“Yea,” Cassidy explained. “His mommy’s name is Emma.”

“Emma.” Miranda repeated again.

“Did you smack your head when you fell on the floor? ‘Cause you just keep repeating everything we say.” Caroline asked half worried and half accusing the woman of having poor conversational skills. It made Miranda let out an uncharacteristic snort. The pure _cheek_ of these two practically confirmed they belonged to her.

“I assure you, I’m fine. Just trying to understand how you managed to out smart your mother whom I know to be an intelligent and attentive woman.”

“Um…well…miss Andy wasn’t home when we lefted.” Henry explained further. “We sort of left when miss Ruby was making us breakfast.”

“So, you were with a sitter.”

“Yes.” They all replied.

“And your mothers were…?” _Please don’t say off together somewhere on holiday,_ Miranda thought to herself.

“Working.” Cassidy confirmed.

“And they work where?”

“They work at the Ps’bstewian hospital, but our mommy works with the chief. She’s funny and nice and fixes broken hearts. And his mommy helps babies.” Cassidy stumbled over the word Presbyterian and Miranda’s heart swelled at the adorableness of it.

Miranda closed her eyes and sighed. “So, let’s recap just so I have all the facts. Your mothers are doctors, both of whom were at work when you decided to up and leave the sitter to travel half way across town, _alone,_ thus endangering your lives and worrying them both needlessly.”

“It wasn’t needwess.” Cassidy stated firmly. “And, it was Henry’s idea first. He read it in a fairy book he got for Christmas from Mary Margwet.”

“Well, if he read it in a book it must be a viable plan.”

Caroline glared, picking up on the dis to her friend. “Hey, that’s not nice. We got here didn’t we? It was a good plan and he was just trying to help us meet you.”

Miranda held the girls stare, quietly asserting her dominance. “Be that as it may, I need to call your mothers and let them know you’ve been located.”

“No!” Caroline whined loudly. “’Cause mommy’ll be mad and sad she will take us home and we will never get to see you again!”

Cassidy whimpered and tears began flowing. “We just got here ‘Manda. Can’t we stay a little while longer before you go away forever again?” She pleaded. “Pwease?”

The editor opened her mouth to say they could stay only until their mothers came to get them. Instead, “I won’t go away forever,” came out as she gathered the girls into a warm hug. This close she noticed how Cassidy smelled reminiscent of a rain on a warm summer day and Caroline of fresh bloomed daffodils.

The bond that she had felt beginning to shift into place earlier became more like ropes tethering them together. It was as if they were missing pieces of a puzzle Miranda didn’t know she was putting together, and the feeling was all at once disconcerting and blissful.

_What is happening?!_

Miranda wiped their tears and whispered soothing, affirming words in their ears. “We will figure it out, dear ones. I promise we will figure it out.”

~

Miranda send Emily for some lunch for the four of them. Mcdonald's as requested, though it pained her to watch them eat it. Just as Emily was heading off to her next errand Miranda called into the outer office.

“Emily, I need you to do something for me.”

“Yes, Miranda?”

“Get me the number for one Andrea Sachs at Presbyterian. I believe I have something she is looking for.”

Before Emily could respond an angry looking brunette stormed her way into the glass office flanked by a rather bedraggled looking blonde. Russet eyes locked onto icy blue and a low growl began bubbling up from the depths of Andrea’s chest as Miranda’s arm tightened protectively around the girls’ shoulders. The blonde behind her, whom she assumed was Emma, tried to lay a calming hand on her shoulder and Andrea shrugged it away before she spoke.

“That won’t be necessary, Miranda. I’m here now.”


End file.
